Volvo tests electric buses in hot and cold climate conditions
This summer, Volvo’s electric buses begin operating in the Norwegian town of Bodø. They will be the first to provide scheduled services north of the Arctic circle. At the same time, Volvo is also testing its electric buses in warm climates as part of challenging test programmes in Spain and Mexico, among other places.
“As one of the leading global suppliers of solutions for electric mobility, we must be able to meet our customers’ requirements and expectations regardless of where they operate,” says Marie Carlsson, director citymobility business development at Volvo Buses.
“That applies not only to environmental considerations but also availability, passenger comfort and safety. We test our products together with our customers in Arctic conditions and in warm climates to ensure that we have the best solutions for a range of different requirements.”
During 2020 the full-electric Volvo 7900 Electric bus was tested in Spanish cities, including Zaragoza, Santander and Madrid, where the ambient temperature during the test period sometimes exceeded 40°C.
This made it possible to investigate in practice how the energy usage of the buses was affected by using the air-conditioning to full capacity.
A Volvo 7900 Electric is currently also being tested in the busy Metrobus system in Mexico City. It will be in operation for six months and then the experiences from this trial period will be evaluated.